Switzerland to replace FITs with solar rebates in 2018
According to Swissolar, this change will allow more PV capacity to be deployed, as waiting times for the implementation of FIT contracts are considerably increasing. Self-consumption is also becoming more attractive for multi-family houses and commercial enterprises.
Slovakia’s Green Houses Program has €13 million 2018 budget
The scheme grants incentives for the installation of solar water heaters, PV systems up to 10 kW, heat pumps and small windmills.
France reduces grid fees for residential and commercial PV
The grid fees will be lowered for all solar power generators not exceeding in size 5 MW, depending on the system size.
Singulus develops new diamond wire multi wafer texturing process
The German tooling firm announces the development of a new texturing process for multicrystalline wafers using diamond wire sawing on its LINEX inline system. Company believes process can boost multi wafer market in 2018.
Germany: Digital solar and storage event pits hardware against services
At the event “Digital Solar & Storage” organized by Solar Power Europe and Ibesa and held today in Munich, Germany, the opportunities offered by the digitization of the solar industry were discussed. A dispute arose over the role hardware development will play.
Lithuania raises net metering size limit for businesses and farmers
Prior to the introduction of the new provisions, only public institutions were entitled to install PV systems between 10 and 100 kW. The 10 kW limit will remain for private citizens, however.
RENA leans on solar knowledge to develop mass etching process for lithium-ion batteries
German PV equipment manufacturer to team with Kiel University to develop scalable production of silicon anodes to boost lithium-ion battery performance.
Armenia sees another finished solar PV plant
Armenia’s fledgling solar industry has received a boost with the installation of another 1 MW PV plant, by Arpi Solar. The company is due to start work on another 55 MW “very soon”.
Researchers demonstrate feasibility of bio-photovoltaic cells to generate electricity
Using water as the source of electrons, microbial bio-photovoltaic (BPV) cells have the capacity to exploit the ability of cyanobacteria and microalgae to convert light energy into electrical current.
Italy set to reach 400 MW of new PV capacity in 2017
New additions for the first 10 months of this year totaled 352 MW, representing 12% growth compared to the same period a year earlier, and enough solar to meet 8.7% of total power demand.
